Things have been interesting, to say the least, lately. I ended up gaining physical custody of my youngest daughter about a month ago in a surprising turn of events. There are things that still need to be done on the legal side but overall it has been a relatively smooth transition, and I just finished my first week of working 1st shift this week (luckily an opening became open and I was able to switch to it) so now I have a bit more free time (though it is odd to be off work by 6 pm as I've NEVER worked 1st shift before in my adult life).

Of course it wasn't as if I couldn't work on builds, but did not really have the time to post them while adjusting to my new work hours and new responsibilities that come with having a 13 year old. So now it's time to post what I've been working on.

Welcome back! You really do some terrific builds. Good to hear about positive developments in recent weeks. All my best!

Complications:Enemies: Mendron the Black Mage, the Brimstone House, and several others.

Motivation ~Responsibility: For several generations, Blackstone's family has worked to maintain the balance between the mundane world and the supernatural, he is this generations bearer of that job.

Prejudice: Powers based on Darkness tend to have unpleasant associations, such as the powers of evil and death. Most people are inclined to believe the worst about Blackstone because of the abilities he uses.

Power Loss: Without the Obsidian Sapphire, Blackstone has no powers.

Background: Very little is known about Jacob Lanning’s early life, aside from snippets he has shared with others over the years; he came from a stable, loving home. His education in arcane matters started when he was seven years old and began using the Obsidian Sapphire when he was thirteen. He has also spent the majority of his life working to maintain the balance between the darkness and the light, or rather working to keep certain supernatural elements held at bay so that humanity can continue.

For the majority of his life Jacob worked alone, comforted by the fact that he was making the world a better place. What convinced Jacob to change his mind about working alone was when he and the Aurelius teamed together to fight the Crimson Coven as they tried to summon the Horsemen of the Apocalypse to Earth. The pair were aided by his niece, Alexis, who was Jacob’s apprentice, and together that rag-tag group managed to capture most of the Crimson Coven and force the Horsemen to return to where they’d been summoned from. Granted they nearly failed, but they didn’t and they’d all survived.

Jacob realized their efforts would have been more successful if they’d had others to help them, so he began to reach out to a few others who fought the supernatural in their own way with an offer of alliance to combat threats they felt needed to be dealt with; the Infernalist and the Huntress were hesitant but decided that the idea was worth a try. It didn’t take long for them to see the benefits of Jacob’s idea and soon the trio were handing threats any of them would have struggled against alone. During the course of their adventures the Alliance gained not only enemies but new members as well – Vapula, a man who’d sold his soul to save his daughter only to have said soul placed in the body of a gargoyle, was the first “new” member to join the group when he betrayed the mage who’d summoned him to fulfill his dark ambitions that the Alliance eventually defeated.

Over the years others were brought into the group, as the Alliance found themselves dealing with mundane criminals as much as supernatural threats. This caused the Infernalist and the Huntress to eventually take their leave of the group as they both felt the Alliance had lost focus of their original goals. Unfortunately, this led to Blackstone I facing off against Mendron the Black Mage virtually alone and dying from the injuries he sustained.

Despite the loss of their leader, the Alliance remained together, doing their best to protect the world from the various threats it faces.

Background: Mary Campbell was born to Gordon and Donna Campbell, who were hunters of supernatural creatures that threatened the general public, and she was raised into a life of hunting from an early age. She spent the majority of her childhood wandering across the country, being schooled by her parents in a variety of subjects; both mundane and those pertaining to the “family business”. At some point before Mary’s fifteenth birthday her father is killed by a vampire he was hunting, and her mother decides that a hunter’s life is not something she wishes to continue to pursue or allow her daughter to become a part of. Not surprisingly this leads to unrest in the Campbell house until Mary turns eighteen and moves out of the family home.

Within a year Mary has become a hunter on her own, working with a few other, more experienced hunters so that she can learn more about her chosen profession. Though as a “newer” hunter, she has some ideas on how to better do the job than some of her senior hunters – searching for minor artifacts to use in her fight against the supernatural. After a several years Mary has claimed the Cloak of Arms, an artifact that she quickly learned allowed her much more than she’d originally expected, it was also during that time Mary discovered she was a psychic and used those telepathic abilities as another tool in her growing arsenal.

Over the years Mary developed a reputation as a driven hunter, though her willingness to throw herself headfirst into dangerous situations without what her peers considered to be enough planning. That didn’t bother the first Blackstone, he worked with Mary several times as her skills and knowledge were very helpful to him in his own dealings with the supernatural. So much so that when he assembled a group to help him Mary was among those he asked to join. At first hesitant, she quickly grew to apricate the comradery she found as part of the original Alliance and for several years she worked with that group against several threats the mortal plane.

However, nature abhors stagnation and things within the Alliance changed as they began facing off against non-supernatural threats, so much so in fact that Blackstone recruited members who did not have anything supernatural in their background or abilities. Eventually Mary felt that the Alliance had lost sight of their original goal – protecting mundane society from the supernatural, so she quietly left the group and returned to hunting alone.

To this day she continues on her quest, though she is haunted by the death of the original Blackstone as she wonders if she had remained with the Alliance would she have been able to prevent the death of her friend.

Background: The woman known as the Infernalist claims that she is the results of a cult summoning a demon to lay with one of their members to produce a child that would eventually break the dimensional barriers that hold those creatures in check. For several years Morrigan, as the girl was named, was trained in the art of magic, tapping into the power granted her by her dark heritage. However, Morrigan clung to her humanity secretly while her mother discovered that he cult had lied to her about the supposed destiny of her daughter and was driven mad as a result and killed herself after placing Morrigan in the care of a Jesuit-run orphanage.

She would gain degrees in history and religion from St. Louis University, then set herself up as an occult investigator battling dark arcane forces as a demonologist and exorcist. It was through those efforts that Morrigan became familiar with the original Blackstone, sometimes allying with him on occasions when their paths would cross while dealing with supernatural events. Several years later Blackstone would gather together a few of his periodic allies into a group that could better deal with various supernatural threats and for several years they enjoyed a number of successes.

However, nature abhors stagnation and things within the Alliance changed as they began facing off against non-supernatural threats, so much so in fact that Blackstone recruited members who did not have anything supernatural in their background or abilities. Eventually the Infernalist felt that the Alliance had lost sight of their original goal – protecting mundane society from the supernatural, so she left the group to return to her roots as a steadfast foe of all things supernatural.

Complications:Guilt: Vapula feels that he failed the first Blackstone, and tries to help the current one as a way to make amends.

Involuntary Transformation ~Mind Control: An obscure spell will allow any spell caster to control and command Vapula.

Prejudice: Vapula cannot pass for an ordinary human without his illusionary disguise.

Background: Christian sold his soul to a demon in exchange for curing his daughter of a disease that threatened her life. Unfortunately, Christian quickly learned that such deals do not have happy endings as the demon transferred the man’s soul into the body of a nearby gargoyle servant. For years Christian served in his forced servitude, the demon’s possession of his soul made his saying no an impossibility, performing a number of vile tasks until he was sent against the first Blackstone.

Thanks to his experience in dealing with the supernatural, Blackstone was able to quickly figure out what had happened Christian and devised a way to allow the man full control of his body. Together they were able to defeat the demon lord, although Christian’s human body had died shortly after his soul was taken from it leaving him stuck in his monstrous form and unwilling to contact his family. Having nowhere else to go he took up with Blackstone, living in his home and helping to raise the other man’s young niece thanks to an illusionary disguise that allowed him to appear human.

For years Christian worked to repay the debt he felt towards Blackstone, working with the Alliance against numerous supernatural threats. Then as the team’s focus became more mainstream (i.e. dealing with non-supernatural opponents) he continued to be the rock of the team even as the other founding members left the Alliance. Christian was at the original Blackstone’s side when he had his final fight against Mendron the Black Mage, though he suffered horrible injuries that nearly killed him despite his impressive healing abilities and was forced to “retire” from being an active team member, focusing more on helping Blackstone’s niece assume the duties her uncle had been responsible for the majority of his life.

At this point Christian still has not resumed his place in the Alliance, and in the quieter moments of his day he wonders if it the still lingering effects of the mystic curse Mendron placed upon him that holds him back or his own self-doubts about his ability to be useful in the modern world that is the true culprit.

* Because I love posting oddly related pictures, here's one for Vapula when he's in disguise.

Family: The Mariner has several siblings, several of whom she does not know.

Honor: The Mariner adheres to a strict code of honor - she always keeps her given word.

Infamy: The Mariner has attacked the surface world several times in the past.

Responsibility: The Mariner is devoted to the protection of the oceans.

Temper: The Mariner is a tempestuous woman, who often acts without considering the consequences.

Water Dependency: The Mariner is amphibious; if she is removed from the water for an extended period of time, she begins to suffer ill effects. For every hour she is away from the water, or each turn she takes heat or fire damage, her Fighting, Strength, and Stamina ranks drop -1 rank, until they all reach rank 2. She is Impaired each day she has not totally immersed himself in water.

Background: The original Mariner was Jordan Hendricks, a marine biologist who’d manifested aquatic-themed powers in the late 1970s when he nearly died trying to stop members of a local warlord’s army from raiding a South East Asian village he was working out of studying local aquatic life. What Hendricks had been unaware of was the fact that the warlord was being secretly supported by a shell company of Noxxor Industries, who had already reacted to the attack; producing doctored evidence that presented Hendricks as a dangerous ecoterrorist and superhuman criminal, creating the villainous persona of the Mariner for the young scientist - a heartless and unstable marine marauder and pirate who blamed humanity for polluting the oceans.

Thus, when Hendricks attempted to approach the authorities, he was attacked and nearly captured. Narrowly escaping, he realized he could get no justice for himself or Noxxor’s offenses through normal channels. Angry and alone, he decided that he would use Noxxor’s slander to his advantage and became the Mariner, deadly foe of all who would destroy the world’s oceans. Hendrick’s new, extremist persona soon attracted many allies; some were mercenaries looking for a share of the Mariner’s operation, while others were passionate environmentalists, scientists, and engineers. Using resources salvaged, seized, or stolen from various wrecks, marine facilities, research vessels, and military warship of various nations, the Mariner oversaw the construction of underwater bases to house his followers, then built the Nemo, a specially-armed and armored experimental submarine. Thus armed and supplied, the Mariner began a campaign of piracy and terror against Noxxor Industries and other organizations he believed were poisoning and destroying the world’s marine environments.

In the years that followed, the Mariner grew his organization through careful recruitment and aggressive aquatic assaults on key targets, while experiencing several run-ins with various heroic Transhumans, especially those who also have an aquatic theme. While he came out on top of those conflicts, either escaping or defeating his foes using his weaponry and resources, the Mariner began to feel the burden of his war. At first authorities simply thought the Mariner was planning some new plot, but as time went on and he committed no new crimes they began to wonder what he was doing with his time.

That answer came just over a decade later when a new Mariner appeared on the scene, using much of the same advanced technology the original had, and while it was clear she was her father’s daughter, the new Mariner was much more willing to use violence to achieve her goals than her father was. Which has led to her clashing numerous times with members of the Vanguard over the years since her debut, though she is very much her father’s daughter as she has managed to have never been captured and tried for any of her crimes to date.

Complications:Legacy: The current Carrion Crow is the third man to use that identity.

Mental Illness: Carrion Crow has a very strong fixation on the hero Argus.

Background: Some men inherit their father’s aptitude for mechanics, or art. However, there are those who get the short end of such things, such as Michael Morgan, who is the grandson of Harper Moser, the original Carron Crow – a foe of the heroic vigilante Janus.

The two men first encountered one another when ’s salvaging company in New York City was revealed to have minor connections to the Silvestri Family and Janus was working on shutting down their criminal enterprises. By the time the masked investigator was done Harper’s business was nearly bankrupt and he could barely get enough work for just himself, and he was forced to live at his scrapyard as his wife had kicked him out. For months Harper railed against his situation, blaming Janus for his misfortunes as well as the Silvestri Family for forcing him into working for them then leaving him to be picked apart by the vultures and scavengers that were his competitors.

It was then during that familiar rant that an idea came to Harper; he would use the motif of a bird that lived off the bodies of others to take his revenge, he would become the Carrion Crow!

At first, he went after parts of the Silvestri Family’s operation, using what little he knew of it, to take back some of what he’d lost. Then after interrogating some of those lower ranking members Carrion Crow quickly moved on to bigger, and more profitable, parts of the operation. It was these violent raids that first earned him the attention of Janus and put the two on a collision course, which led to a long running rivalry between them. In the end however Harper would be killed while fighting his most hated foe, ironically enough, by a trap he’d devised to use against Janus.

However, that was not the end of the Carrion Crow as Harper’s son Mitchell would resurrect his father’s criminal identity, vastly expanding the arsenal of equipment his father had used – building a suit capable of flight while incorporating more dangerous weaponry of his own design into it. Mitchell would also fight against Janus, in an effort to hurt the man who, in Mitchell’s eyes, killed his father.

For several years the two men would face one another, generally with Janus emerging the winner. However, Mitchell would score, what he would consider, key victories – such as his killing of Janus’ long-time fiancée Caroline Desmond, and the time he nearly ended Janus’ heroic career by severely injuring the heroes back (though Janus would make use of a magical remedy to help him recover). In the end however, Mitchell fell victim to the same single-mindedness that his father had, and he lost the ability to make rational decisions when they concerned the masked hero. Joining forces with Waxworks Mitchell found himself betrayed when their plot to defeat Janus fell apart as the gangster Transhuman used his flesh altering powers on the winged criminal and left him crippled.

Michael Morgan knew from an early age about the legacy of his family, his father made sure of it by telling the young boy numerous stories about the masked exploits of his grandfather. Mitchell also made sure that Michael was up to the task of inheriting the mantle of Carrion Crow by training him from an early age in a number of disciplines that would be beneficial as a costumed criminal. Thus, when Mitchell was crippled by Waxworks Michael was able to take over the masked identity of Carrion Crow following a several year-long trip across the globe to finish up the training started by his father.

Unfortunately for Michael, by the time he was ready to assume his legacy he was unable challenge Janus as the masked hero had died while he had been traveling abroad. For several months Michael was at a loss as to what to do with himself. Then news of a new hero patrolling the streets of New York broke; a hero that was known as Argus. Upon seeing pictures of the man in action Michael immediately recognized him as the former sidekick of Janus and he suddenly understood what his purpose in life would be – destroying the apprentice of the man who’d wronged both his father and grandfather.

However, despite his commitment to his goal Michael has struggled to make any significant progress in his goal, though Argus would argue otherwise, and despite the risks involved Michael is considering finding a partner (or two) to align himself.

Complications:Gunslinger Code: Battalion doesn’t like to be upstaged and will go out of his way to prove he’s the best at what he does.

Professional Mercenary: Battalion won’t renege on a contract, nor will he leave a job unfinished, and he won’t betray his employer.

Background: Almost nothing is known about the man known as Battalion except for the fact that he is ruthless in the pursuit of his profession as a Transhuman criminal for hire. How he gained the skills he now employs isn't known, although C.A.S.T.L.E. agents that have reviewed dozens of hours of video of Battalion in action theorize he was likely trained in the Middle East, but his use of them in such a ruthless manner makes it clear that that he isn't picky about how he uses them.

In the last six years since making his debut Battalion has taken on a number of jobs and proven himself to be a skilled combatant. So much so that he has been able to take on various heroes, including several members of the Vanguard, “by himself” multiple times and retain his freedom. It is something that certain masterminds are starting to take notice of and are considering making an offer of employment to him.

Motivation ~Money & Chaos; Candyman seeks to take the fortune he felt he was denied by the swindling done to his father, although he does enjoy causing large amounts of trouble to the general public.

Background: The son of a kindly confectionary, Rutger Schmidt, Vincent Schmidt spent his days in his father's shop watching him making various candies. Rutger dreamed of building a candy factory, but lack of capital prevented it. Infamous mob boss Leo Silvestri offered to bankroll Schott to build the factory. Unknown to Schmidt, Silvestri used it as a front for a number racket. When the police uncovered the scheme, the gangsters fled, leaving the elder Schmidt to be framed for running the operation and falsely imprisoned for ten years for embezzlement.

Rutger eventually died in prison before he could be paroled, and Vincent was left on his own and spent several years in abusive and neglectful foster homes. By the time he reached adulthood, Vincent was mentally ill. Making use of his aptitude for food science, he decided to make up for his ruined childhood by terrorizing the world and stealing money to amass his own personal fortune. He was often opposed by the vigilant hero Janus, and Vincent would end up becoming a lifelong member of the hero’s rogue gallery.

After years of time spent in prison and committing crimes Vincent was diagnosed with cancer - a result of the toxic chemicals he used over the years in his specialized gadgets. Determined to leave a lasting legacy, Vincent focused himself on how to accomplish that goal; after breaking out of prison he poured through his father’s journal Vincent learned that his paternal grandmother had been some kind of sorceress that had mixed magic with food to help her village. Positive that this was the key to his success, Vincent travelled to the rural villages of Romania where his family had migrated from and immersed himself in the culture of his family – quickly learning the ways of the unique food-based magic that had inspired his father.

Truth be told it took Vincent several years to fully understand the basics of his family’s magical legacy and combine it with his mastery of chemistry to achieve his goal. However, in the middle of a dark, moonless night in a warehouse he’d bought under a fake name in New York City, Vincent smiled weakly as his five “children” rose up from the ritual circles drawn around them – ALIVE! Each of them made of Vincent’s own beloved candy formulas and his own blood, as he collapsed on the floor dying as the what little remains of his blood leaked onto the floor.

Complications:Kind-Hearted Crook: Facet is a thief, thus she avoids violence when possible.

Robin Hood Crusade: Most of Facet’s ill-gotten gains tend to end up going to different charities, and she has a tends to target the wealthy.

Background: The details of how Marie Levesque manifested her powers and learned how they worked isn’t known to members of law enforcement, however her criminal debut is another matter – taking on members of the Vanguard when she attempted to steal a set of statues made of ruby, emerald and sapphire that had been put on display by their wealthy owner. Her variety of powers made her more than a match for the unsuspecting heroes and Facet, as Marie had named herself, was able to affect an escape.

This set the tone for her criminal career; pulling off big heists despite the efforts of various heroes trying to stop her, normally following a large and flashy fight. Though there have been a few times when Facet’s more compassionate nature have swayed her – there have been several instances when a situation has caused Facet to set aside her criminal endeavors to protect innocent bystanders, although she has made it a point to slip away before the authorities arrived on the scene. Added to that is the fact that she donates a sizable portion of her ill-gotten gains to various charities and that she only targets those who are able to withstand the loss of the items she is claiming for herself makes it clear to that she has a set of morals despite her chosen profession.

Last edited by Tattooedman on Mon Oct 29, 2018 11:06 am, edited 2 times in total.

Complications:Even Villains Have Standards: Double Trouble will not kill anyone. Hurt them? Sure, but killing someone is a concept either one of them is not comfortable with.

Family Matters: Both girls are protective of the other, and will go after anyone who seriously hurts the other sibling.

Motivation ~Recognition: Double Trouble are interested in gaining fame, or infamy, as in their minds there is little difference between the two.

Background: Sarah and Stephanie Sanderson have no idea how they gained their Transhuman abilities, and their manifestation would be considered a “slow build” – at first the lights in rooms would flicker when they entered, or their phone batteries would either die or have the best charge ever (as in lasting over three days without plugging in). Then when they would be frustrated sparks would fly from their bodies, or people would get a shock equal to a really nasty static shock when one of the girls touched them.

Exactly when the Sanderson twins fully manifested their powers isn’t something they’ve shared, though scientists at Oddessy Technologies have theorized that their early manifestation has something to do with their being twins. None the less, Sarah and Stephanie wasted no time in using their electrical abilities to use in taking whatever caught their fancy, which quickly brought them to the attention of both the Vanguard and the Alliance. While the Sanderson sisters have had mixed results in such conflicts, they’ve lost as often as they’ve won in all honesty, but the fact that Stephanie and Sarah have used their notoriety to further their social media status only further frustrates and confuses most people. For example – there have been several times the twins have paid both their legal defense and bail from funds fueled by their internet fans through various donation websites.

Because of their non-standard outlook on their criminal activities it can be difficult to guess when and where Double Trouble might show up and what kind of trouble they might be up to.